El género Aeromonas. ¿Un patógeno importante en México?

The genus Aeromonas has been recognized since 1891 as an etiological agent of infections in several species of fish and occasionally in mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Recently, some of the species have emerged as a public health problem for the human population, causing intestinal and extra-intestinal infections, including bacteriemia. Considering that in some countries these microorganisms are among the main causes of diarrhea, it is timely to review the importance of Aeromonas and to index the studies carried out in Mexico. The pathogenicity mechanisms in the infections produced by species of this genus are not fully defined, but several structures and extracellular enzymes have been identified and considered virulence factors of Aeromonas. This review discusses the main characteristics of the Aeromonas spp. and presents recent advances in the knowledge of these microorganisms. The incidence of infections produced by strains of this genus is probably underestimated since in Mexico these microorganisms have only been investigated routinely in few laboratories. For this reason our work group recommends that clinical laboratories carry out the necessary tests to isolate and identify these microorganisms in order to establish the importance of Aeromonas as a human pathogen in our country.